


Nice job there, Flash

by PlutoApologist



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 01:39:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13136454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlutoApologist/pseuds/PlutoApologist
Summary: Evan never had high hopes of finding his soulmate and it the least of his worries during finals week. However, fate decides to throw Evan a curveball out of the blue when he's least expecting it and least prepared to deal with it.





	Nice job there, Flash

Evan anxiously twisted the strap of his computer strap around his shoulder, wiping his free hand on his sweatpants. He couldn’t seem to find a single calm or not crowded place on campus during finals week. Surveying the café, he despondently noticed that the on-campus café was no different. Students around the café were displaying many varying states of emotional distress. Some were asleep, some people’s red eyes were trained with laser focus on screens and all of them were barely keeping their sanity with a barely restrained grimace. The crowds were the worst parts of finals week. Scrap that, his heightened anxiety was the worst part of finals week. Evan’s anxiety was through the roof. It was practically attached to a rocket, bursting into the depths of space. Tightly holding onto the strap of his laptop bag, Evan gingerly took a seat next to a short sleeping student with glasses, who was holding tightly on to his laptop. 

Evan was starting to regret leaving the safety of his room. Ultimately, it was better to be out than cooped up though. He wasn’t that depressed anymore. Or was he? God, he couldn’t even make up his mind about how messed up he was. If he wasn’t then how would his mom feel? All that therapy she had paid amounting to the nothing that he was bound to be. Why was he even here? Maybe he was like a pity admission? Was that a thing? Only stupid people would think that. Evan dug his clipped, bitten nails into his palms, distracting himself from his intrusive thoughts and took a deep sip of hot chocolate. He set out his laptop and turned it on, careful to set it out far from the coffee cup that was balanced precariously on the edge of table. If the person woke up to find their coffee spilled, that would warrant a conversation. An angry conversation probably. A conversation that might end up with a book thrown at him. Evan started playing with the edge of his sweater, just imagining the limitless possibilities of how that conversation might end. Ninety percent of the possibilities were bad. Well, maybe seventy percent. Some of the best possibilities included him getting a friend. Those were very unlikely, though. His therapist had told him to be more optimistic about daily events, even if they were small. Apparently, that would make it easier to be optimistic about big picture stuff. It wasn’t working yet. 

He could help but smile imagining his mother’s response. Well, just take that as another opportunity to be optimistic! Seize the day! she would brightly say. Of course, it was easy for her, she didn’t feel like the whole world was against her or feel like an ant under a microscope when talking to people or that she would never find her soulmate. His soulmate was normally the least of his worries. She didn’t have a soulmate mark, but didn’t think badly of that and wouldn’t let anyone tell her otherwise. Evan admired her resoluteness, even wished he was more like her. He hadn’t had a real friend or boyfriend or girlfriend, so he saw his chances at finding his soulmate at slim to none. The one good thing about his anxiety was that he wasn’t worrying about his finding his soulmate, he was worrying about if his hands were sweaty or he was attracting too much attention to himself or the meaninglessness of human existence. With his mother’s resoluteness in mind, Evan started on the middle of essay. His Biology professor had told him that he had a strong thesis and introduction to his essay and he had cautiously allowed himself to feel proud of his work and continue with the rest of the essay. He had only written two sentences when the sleeping student next to him slowly started to wake up. Evan couldn’t help but grumble quietly. There was no way he was moving now, and he was bound to not be able to concentrate now that they had woken up. He was already regretting forgetting his headphones. He had just been so desperate to avoid hearing the Book of Mormon soundtrack for what seemed like the hundredth time that week. He had been cursed with having a musical theatre major for a roommate.  
The short student slowly got up and stretched, grumbling like a bear that had been woken from a seven-month hibernation. Evan noticed he had dark circles under his eyes. He blindly reached for the cup of coffee, in the process knocking if over. Evan froze, his heart hammering out a steady, terrifying beat. Evan opened his mouth and reached out, hoping to do anything, say anything, but nothing came out.

“Well, shit.”  
The short student blankly looked between the cup laying abandoned on the ground and Evan.

“Nice job there, Flash,” he quipped, irritated, looking at Evan. Evan cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. Registering the confusion, the bespectacled student sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Flash? He’s a superhero? Try, I don’t know actually, learning about culture sometime.”  
The bespectacled student picked up the coffee cup, checking if anything was left. When he picked it up, Evan could see his name in flowery writing- Jared. 

“Sorry, I- um- I was writing my paper and it just- everything happened so quickly- “

Jared raised his eyebrows at Evan and chuckled unnaturally brightly.  
“I was joking around. I thought if you made to college, you’d understand the concept of humor,” Jared said, crossing his arms and smirking. His whole posture seemed like an imitation of the stereotypical cool guy you see in movies, like Danny Zuko. Evan couldn’t help but notice his cheeks were redder, even though Jared was hiding his face, his eyes fixed on the floor. 

“You seemed mad. Sorry, it’s just I ‘d hate if it happened to me- I mean -Sorry, it’s just my reflexes are kind of bad, I can’t even really catch things well- “

“It’s no big deal. It’s empty anyway. Just like my soul,” Jared said dramatically, leaning closer to Evan and widening his eyes. Evan hunched his shoulders, but didn’t lean away like he normally did. There was a mysterious element around Jared that intrigued Evan. Jared sagged into the couch and eyed Evan’s computer. He couldn’t help but quirk his mouth at what he saw on Evan’s computer. 

“The Race to Extinction: Plants Vs Humans? What are you, a tree nerd? Is that a weird kink I don’t know about?” Jared snickered  
“I’m a biology major. I know it’s lame, kind of, but trees are really my thing. Since senior year, I guess?” Evan said quietly, starting to trail off when Jared redirected his gaze from his screen to the Evan’s eye.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t know anything about that. I’m an astronomy major, so…”  
“I thought that- well, Sabrina Pattel from all my classes is always talking about how astronomy is the worst science major- And I just realized that that’s a really rude thing to say, I’m sorry- “Evan rushed the last part, realizing that it was a bad idea to piss off a coffee and sleep depraved student during finals week.  
“That bitch. I knew someone was spreading rumors about the Astronomy majors,” Jared mumbled under his breath, tightly clutching his seat. He laughed and turned to Evan. “Hey next time you see her, could you tell her that the Astronomy majors want to send her a message.” Jared playfully flipped the bird

“I-Um- “Evan’s heart felt a little fuller, watching Jared gleefully laugh to himself, even going so far as to slap his own thigh. Suddenly, Jared became serious, pursing his lips tightly.

“I was joking. I want to give her that message myself,” Jared said emphatically.

“She wasn’t really saying things that were that bad- “

“Again, kidding,” Jared reassured Evan, patting his shoulder. “I think,” he added, under his breath.

“Not all Biology majors are that bad. I actually think astronomy is cool. Stars were always super relaxing to me.”

“You don’t have to lie. I’m pretty sure nobody cool thinks that.”  
Something about him made Evan feel brave enough to speak up. 

“Well, I’m not exactly cool, so that might explain it. And you’re an astronomy major, so how would you explain that?” Evan rushed out, affronted, before his courage fled from him. 

“Would you look at that? The acorn has grown into a tree! You’re talking back!” Jared exclaimed, much too loudly, drawing many angry caffeine-fueled stares, not that Jared noticed. Jared was too smiling softly at Evan’s nervous smile. Evan did though and shrunk back into his seat. Jared was not one known for smiling softly. Just being around Evan for this conversation had made him feel better than he had all year. If this was how he felt 

“Yeah, well miracles happen.” Evan laughed nervously, playing with his sleeve.  
There was an awkward beat of silence. Jared looked down at floor and then focused his guilty eyes on his coffee cup. An apology sat heavily on the tip of his tongue, awkward and deformed.

“Sorry, this has been a rough week and caffeine was kind of my savior, so I guess I took it out on you,” Jared said, his guilt seeping through his nonchalant tone like ooze seeping from the swamp monster he had felt like this week.  
Evan played harder with his sleeve and stuttered out a quiet “Thanks”. 

“It’s whatever,” Jared brushed off, uncomfortably fiddling with his coffee cup. Desperate for any other topic of conversation, Jared looked around for any other topic of conversation, landing on Evan’s soulmate mark that was visible because of how fiercely Evan was playing with his sleeve. “Oh, you have a soulmate mark. Lucky you.”

“Well yeah, I guess I do.”

“You guess? It’s right there,” Jared chortled, not totally masking the compassion in his eyes for the taller man’s struggle being in the center of attention. He suddenly felt nervous to ask to see the mark, he knew how sensitive he was about his soulmate mark. He had even started to doubt that he was going to find his soulmate or that his soulmate would want to be with him. But this man barely knew him, there was no way he would turn him down right away, if he even ended up being his soulmate. “Hey, can I see it?”

“What?! But we barely know each other! You don’t even know my name!”  
“Okay, tell me then.”  
“It’s-My name is Evan.”  
“Okay, now I know your name. I’d call you my friend at this point. I know that you like astronomy. Hey, I’ll take anybody!” Seeing Evan’s face screw into an uncomfortable attempt at a smile with his insecure jab, Jared quickly rushed to add on. Jared couldn’t let himself just continue chasing away people because of the rotten way he dealt with his problems. Besides, the way he felt around Evan, warm and immune from judgement, he needed to feel that way again. “I didn’t mean- I meant to say that I want to know more about you. I’m also kind of low in the friends department, so that was more about me than you. Unless that is the case, then- Christ, I’m offending you again. I’ll just stop talking.”  
Evan just responded by easing his tense shoulders, his nervous smile melting into a softer smile, and slowly lifting his sleeve to reveal his soulmate mark. 

“Holy. Shit. Is it just me or does it say what I think it says?”

“What do you- “Jared couldn’t help but interrupt Evan in his excitement. He excitedly pointed at the writing on Evan’s arm.  
“It’s- that’s what I said to you. Right now. In this conversation. Dumbass,” Jared teased gently, despite how his heart was beating like an out of control marching band, telling him to treat his soulmate with reverence. This was his soulmate after all. Well, Jared was one to flout convention. “Nice job there, flash. I think we’re soulmates unless someone up high messed up.”

“I think you’re right, Jared,” Evan said slowly, trying out his soulmate’s name on his tongue slowly and sweetly, like an unexpectedly sweet Bertie Bott’s Every Flavored Bean. He rushed to explain himself when Jared slowly put a finger up and raised his eyebrows confusedly. “I saw your name on the coffee cup, I know that’s super weird and I just should have asked, obviously. Sorry.”  
“I think it’s sweet. Maybe a little stalker-ish, but sweet.”  
“Thanks.”  
“You’re …. Welcome?”

The shorter man pulled his sleeve up revealing the words ‘sorry’ adorning his wrist. They shared a secret smile. Jared pulled out a piece of paper from his back pack, ripped it in two and handed one half to Evan. He wrote his phone number and name, with a bad mini drawing of the stars and planets. Evan followed suit, drawing a decent mini picture of a tree instead of stars and planets, not before rubbing his suddenly sweaty hands on his pants. They exchanged glances as they passed each other the pieces of paper.

“I have a question…. I think?” Evan hesitantly asked, his smile fading.

“That was a question,” Jared said, sticking his tongue out.

“Why didn’t you just ask for my number and text me?” Evan asked, completely ignoring Jared’s sarcastic comment. 

“When I do that, I feel like people get tired of me, I guess.”  
“Tired of you?” Evan pressed.

“I always feel like I’m too much or end up burdening people with my problems. I mean, maybe I’m too boring. I start actually considering them friends and go them for help, then they just… stop trying to keep up whatever we had,” Jared sighed, his hold on the coffee cup growing tighter. “So, I just end up not talking to anybody. This is the most I’ve talked about emotions since…I don’t even know. I don’t even know why I’m telling you.”

“You don’t tell your parents how you feel?”  
“You do?!”  
“Well, no…” Evan reluctantly said. He focused his eyes on his lap, like it held all the answers to his problems. “I mean, she’s busy anyways, so our calls are short. She sounds so excited when I lie say everything’s okay and when I mention a problem, she gets so…”  
“Hey, at least the next time you talk to her, it won’t be a complete lie. It’ll be an okay week once you’ve gone on a date with your soulmate,” Jared confidently boasted, sticking out his chin, somewhat resembling the cartoonish-like pose of the statue of the founder of the college that Evan passed every day, except for his furious blush. His confidence melted quickly subjected at how pale Evan turned at that prospect.

“I mean, if you want to turn down this handsomeness, you can, but don’t come crying to me when you can’t find anyone as handsome as me,” Jared said icily. He turned his back to Evan, putting his computer in his backpack. His walls came back up as quickly as he had carefully made a hole in them for Evan to see his inner workings.  
“No, I don’t mind you as my soulmate. Shit, I mean, I want you as my soulmate. It’s just I’m not really someone that’s ever been on a date or had relationships or real friends,” Evan rushed out. Jared let out a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding in. “You also never really asked me out or set up a date, anyways…”  
“With that face, absolutely not! I refuse to accept that." Jared shook his head.

"Anyways, that was the fucking saddest thing I’ve ever heard. I need to fix that. So…You can text me or I’ll text you, but I have a feeling I’m distracting you from something. I can’t blame you for being distracted,” Jared said, winking. He flicked his eyes down to the page on Evan’s laptop that was half empty, waiting for Evan to craft the essay into something deserving of a teacher’s attention. “But, I don’t want to be the reason you fail.”  
“You won’t be!”  
“Well, you’re a distraction to me and I think my nap started as a study break. Although I wouldn’t mind another,” Jared mumbled, looking at where he had been sleeping like it was the last piece of turkey on Thanksgiving. He shook his head and zipped up his laptop and headed off with a half salute, half wave. Evan stared at Jared’s back until Jared caught him staring. Suddenly, he was more interested in writing the paper than he had been all week. In his sudden interest, he missed Jared’s flirtatious grin melt like butter into a fond smile.  
Although it wouldn’t last long, Evan reveled in the fact that for just a moment, one hundred percent of the possibilities of his week were good.


End file.
